If you love Australian music, here’s some news to get you excited. A new internet radio station has hit the scene, with play / pause / play launching, to focus on music relevant to South Australians.
play / pause / play is the creation of Luke Penman, who has been a stalwart of the South Australian music scene for 15 years as a blogger, podcaster, artist manager, music director and radio host.
“The music industry is inherently tied to radio, but that relationship isn’t working in Adelaide,” Mr Penman says. Penman continues to share that “our major commercial stations import most of their content from interstate – especially their music playlists – and play barely any local music. We have some great community radio stations, but nothing that is completely dedicated to the live music scene 24/7.”
play / pause / play is a project to address this gap in the industry by establishing a new internet radio station that focuses on music relevant to South Australians: 100% Australian music with a big focus on new releases, artists based in Adelaide and artists performing here soon – whether they’re playing at the Grace Emily, Thebarton Theatre or WOMADelaide.
“The radio stream serves two core purposes: showcasing local artists, and keeping listeners informed about upcoming gigs in Adelaide. So many touring artists perform in Adelaide and don’t get the support they deserve from our radio stations. Now they will.”
As well as streaming great new Australian-made tunes, play / pause / play features on-demand content including artist interviews, gig guides, and industry workshops. Instead of hosts, listeners hear the voices of artists introducing their own music, giving listeners a background into the creative process and keeping listeners informed of upcoming local performances.
Mr Penman was awarded a $5000 Live Music Enterprise Grant from the City of Adelaide to cover music licensing and associated fees, and establish the radio stream as a proof-of-concept. He is currently running a crowdfunding campaign to secure funding to cover licensing fees for the next six months.
“Music licensing fees are a huge cost, but it’s important that our artists are getting paid for the work they do, just like they would if commercial stations played them instead of repeating Ed Sheeran every hour. We’ve got so much to celebrate and be proud of in Adelaide that is being ignored by major commercial stations who care more about selling ad space than showcasing the world-class music that’s made here.”
More than 170 people have pledged over $8000 in support, with the campaign running until July 13.
“The response to the crowdfunding campaign has been overwhelming, and the positive feedback from listeners has been incredible. I’ve had people tell me they’re discovering new local music that they weren’t being exposed to elsewhere. I’ve had people come up and shake my hand in the pub and say they believe in what I’m doing. I had an Uber driver tell me that he’d already heard about the project from a previous passenger. This is a new music discovery option that South Australians have been crying out for. If we can maintain this momentum, this can be transformative for the local scene.”
The radio stream is live now at playpauseplay.com with iOS and Android apps also available.
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